TM is lots better post 10.6 regarding momentary hiccups. Odd you've had so many times you couldn't fix the backup though.

With multiple machines on one TM drive if you can no longer back up one machine, for network drives you trash the sparsebundle, or for the local drive the particular folder inside the backups.backupdb folder. Both take a while to delete, but after that you just start the backup over for the one machine, no need to redo the other two.

Of course when you delete the backup you delete any older backups and are starting over.

You'll have to make sure that the TM HD is shared in File Sharing Preferences on the iMac, with R/W for everybody.

Connect to the TM HD from the laptops by choosing the iMac in the sidebar and clicking Connect As in the upper right of the Finder window, lock in the sharing password. Remember to log in with the credentials from the iMac, not the laptops.

Does it enable password requirement automatically? I don't see how to do that in System Prefs.

Originally Posted By: Jim_

The iMac will have to be awake to backup, it will not wake on its own when one of the laptops wants to backup.

By awake, you mean just make sure hard drive doesn't go to sleep? Or does the monitor have to stay awake too?

Connect to the TM HD from the laptops by choosing the iMac in the sidebar and clicking Connect As in the upper right of the Finder window, lock in the sharing password. Remember to log in with the credentials from the iMac, not the laptops.

Double Click on the icon for the TM HD that will appear in the Finder window. That should mount the TM HD on the desktop of the laptop.

Ok, I'm trying this now. Connected to the iMac via iCloud and the icons are folders. When I click on the Time Machine one, it just opens up...doesn't mount on the desktop.

Not sure what you mean by "via iCloud." If they're on the same network you should just be able to go to shared in the sidebar. In Finder Preferences/Sidebar make sure Connected Servers and Bonjour is checked.

Quote:

and the icons are folders. When I click on the Time Machine one, it just opens up...doesn't mount on the desktop.

Double click the icon. In Finder Preferences/General under "Show these items on the desktop" make sure Connected Servers is checked.

Not sure what you mean by "via iCloud." If they're on the same network you should just be able to go to shared in the sidebar. In Finder Preferences/Sidebar make sure Connected Servers and Bonjour is checked.

Well, installing Yosemite on my iMac and setting up the laptop was a bit different. You have the option of signing into iCloud and it sets up your stuff from iCloud.

So when I open up the laptop or wake the screen on my iMac, I enter in the password for my iCloud account to log into my computer. Never done that before.

So that's probably why I logged into my iMac via iCloud. I tried logging in as registered user, but it rejected my password. Chose to log in with AppleID and now it won't log out

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